subscribe to blog

our blog

Extreme Makeover

While I am writing the final blog before we start our My One Word journey it seems only fitting that a cheesy extreme makeover show is playing in the background (my wife is obviously in charge of the remote). It’s your typical reality TV fare where we watch the ‘ugly duckling’ turn into a ‘beautiful swan.’ Granted, all it took was a few plastic surgeries and a couple grand spent on hair, make-up and new clothes. An eager audience is willing to watch the entire thing unfold. I have to admit, I sat and watched the whole thing as well, captivated by the drama and eager to see the end results.

Then I began to think what if they did the same type of show, only with someone’s spiritual life?  Would we be so captivated by it?  Would we find ourselves silently rooting for a complete transformation?  I’d like to think that we would.  But, here is the thing, the opportunity for an extreme makeover is presented to us daily when we wake up, make choices throughout the day and go to sleep.  Are we going to live our life out of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? By focusing on your one word you’re posturing yourself for transformation to take place in your life. Those ugly places of our heart are being redeemed so they beautifully reflect God’s heart.

This is fundamentally about change. How is your life going to reflect more of God in one year than it does today? The reality is that you have no idea what is going to happen in your circumstances and no way to control it. But, your character and heart for God is a matter of faith and posture. You may not change the whole world, but you are positioning yourself through your one word to make an impact and steward the influence you’ve been given.

There is no television show for you to go on, no quick fix or fancy reveal.  This is life.  It takes faith and trust in God and the big reveal happens each time you are given the opportunity to respond to your one word and you choose the path that reflects the fruits of the spirit.  I’m captivated and I’m ready to see your extreme makeover. With this in mind, I want to pray for your experience with My One Word by echoing Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus:

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV)

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

Your One Word is about change, but not just change.  We hope that God will do some great things in your life and that you character will be impacted by your pursuit.  Yet, life change is not about being better, but about being alive.  God has promised us the very fullness of Himself as we pursue Him and surrender our lives into the work of His hands.  We’d love to hear your response to the following question: How do you hope the change in your posture and focus will help you experience more fullness in your life and relationships?

Check Your Bags At The Curb

If you’ve ever rushed through an airport terminal with two heavy suitcases and a carry-on, you’ve realized the importance of packing light for a trip. Those bags have a way of weighing you down. Our emotional baggage has the same effect. Clinging on to past failures and regrets hinders walking freely with Christ. The weight of this burden slows down your pursuit of God by diverting your attention from the future. In essence, you are walking into the future facing the wrong direction. The problem is you were designed to move forward, not backwards.

While reflecting on the condition of your heart during the last blog post, you were forced to confront the emotional baggage you continue to carry. There will be a tendency to pick a word out of guilt and utilize it in a way it was never intended: to make up for regrets of the past. Guilt never produces lasting transformation. Your word must move you forward by keeping your life heading into the promise of the future. The hope that you cling to is that even though the past cannot be fixed, it can be redeemed. The past maybe irreparable, but the future is always available. Take a moment to reflect on the motives behind the words you are considering.

• Read 1 Peter 5:7. Are any of the words on your list driven by the desire to make up for past mistakes? How is this causing you to continue to hold on to the burdens of the past? Which word(s) seems to propel you forward towards the hope of future change?

FOR THOSE THAT HAVE ALREADY PICKED THEIR WORD FOR 2010

The idea of relationships is simply about connecting or more importantly finding a connection.  The implication is that you must be proactive by searching for these points of connection and common ground.  Then you need to go a step further and bear with one another instead of checking out or running when things get too personal.  You want so desperately to be known; yet you set boundaries up in your mind.  If an individual gets to close to those boundaries, you start to rethink your connection to them.  When it becomes personal, it becomes dangerous.  People might actually figure out that you don’t have it all together.

We all fool ourselves into believing that we are the only one who has destructive habits, a past full of regrets, and flaws they cannot correct. The truth is everyone is crazy and we all need people to keep our craziness in check. Living authentically means being vulnerable and transparent. Before you begin the journey with your one word, reflect on the individuals who can come alongside you and encourage your growth.

• Would you say you are known inside of community? Who are the people that have come along side you in your pursuit of living out your One Word?

Let’s explore this idea that community plays a critical role in our effort to reflect Christ’s heart. Community is something we desire, but at the same time fear. We’d love to hear your response to the following question: What compels you to share what Christ is doing in your life? What holds you back?

Don’t Ignore The Check Engine Light

A few years back a survey estimated that 10% of drivers in the United States are buzzing around town with their ‘Check Engine’ light on. With their vehicle seemingly running like normal, they ignore the glowing light on their dashboard warning them that something in their car is not operating properly. They continue to gamble that the potential issue is minor in nature with every mile they place on the car. If the shining light persists, they might contemplate taking the vehicle into the shop, but a lack of funds or busy schedule normally win out. Sometimes it isn’t until the car won’t start, makes a loud screeching noise or breaks down completely that they face the reality that all is not as it should be under the hood.

If you have been participating in the assignments on the blog over the past few days, you’ve begun to realize that there are parts of your heart where the ‘Check Engine’ light is glowing. Maybe you’ve ignored the signs because, like those 10% of drivers, it appears that life is operating properly. Yet, every so often, an unfavorable behavior comes out of nowhere and you know things are amiss inside your heart. Through the picking of your word, you are declaring the time has come to not only diagnose the problem, but also repair what is broken. Being intentional about your word prepares your heart to face whatever comes your way. In order for this to take place, the word you choose needs to deal with the issues occurring in the depths of your heart. Spend a few moments reflecting on the following question:

• Read Proverbs 4:23. Which word do you feel speaks most clearly to the issues taking place inside your heart?

FOR THOSE THAT HAVE ALREADY PICKED THEIR WORD FOR 2010

How will God transform you in the New Year – prayer, attitude, integrity, tenderness or patience? What will be the one word that defines you in 2010 – joy, gratitude, forgiveness or contentment? In what area of your life will you be able to see God move – consistency, peace, kindness or humility? Whatever your word may be, you have committed to being part of an experiment to see what happens when people focus on one thing to force clarity and develop direction. Begin now by setting up ways you can engage your word so at the end of the year you will be able to stand before God with a wiser heart. Take the time necessary to arrange your life in order to put your word into action.

• It has been said the normal natural pace of life is not going to push you towards spiritual formation. How have you begun to arrange your life for God to move through your one word?

At the beginning of this blog, we talked about indicators that cause the ‘Check Engine’ light of your heart to illuminate. They’re different for each one of us. We’d love to hear your response to the following question: As it relates to the word you’ve chosen or are considering, what warning signs alerted you that something wasn’t right with your heart?